Foldable viewer



Feb. 27, 1951 J. R. HUTCHINSON FOLDABLE VIEWER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 16, 1948 INVENTOR. dfinrMo/val/urcwnvsou 'struction.

Patented F eb. 27, 1951 UNITED PATENT OFFICE 2543,2210 Feminists John Raymond fintcliinson; Paradise; Pa. abstention 16, 1 9 18, serial 22m 9 Glainis.

The invention relates to 'pictiiie viewers; fn'ei especially to those designed to receive a rmme 01 frames supported. fer example,

suitable mom-1t or slide; or to receive merely U successive frames of a nun str i-p bearing pictures. '5 Various types of viewers are known but, generally, they are of relatively expensive ee'n- -It is an object of the invention to pr snaaowmox type of viewer or novel and at pa tivel-y inexpensive construetion, and a box: t6 use. v

met-Her object er the invention is to a viewer of the aforesaid type ti eonst which will admit of the use er earn-1d vely inexpensive stock rer previd-ing the sha ow sex. the material of the same ad I "fampi-ng out the box blamitherefrom for subsequent i6ld= ing to complete the box for use.

Still another object ofthein'ventidn is to provide a foldable viewer or shadow hex cen'strn't en involving minimum space requirements, after col-lapse, when not in use or for shipment. thiis rendering it a suitable item for amail truer b'iisi ness, the setting u of the viewer for use there after not requiring particular mechanical ski-1i.

'ide

A further object of the invention is"- to a shadow=box type ofviewer with ma lens, and one which will ace mandate picture mounts or slides for either" 1-6 mm; or 3 mm. frames, as well as mounts fer a plurality of picture frames or even an unmounted strip bearing a plurality sf names.-

A still further object of the inventi'en provide a novel mount fol use the Vie f whereby picture frames of mere than the size may be accommodated;

It is an object of the invention, else-,- tepreviae a lens holder either as a permanent or integral part of the box or as a member to be associatedtherewith in a manner such as to serve as a means for conveniently supporting the box inan ually.

In carrying out the inventiom the novel shadow box viewer is conveniently constructed by stamp; -5 ing out ofsuitable material such as eardb'oiird; strawboardand the like a blank having end wingscut for folding into cooperative rel-anthems to provide at one end an ripening with a transversely located open-sided gate or holder to receive aslide or the like. The wings at the appetite see are designed to provide a sight opening for views ing a picture and. wherein there may be retained also a magnifying lens; or, the lens may be ear= ried by a separable element or' strip" of stilt iha= terial; which strip is then designed 'to be introdneed o the heir transversely to its longitudinal axis thi nigh oppositely disposed slots provided intermediate the box ends in respective walls of said bo-'x-. The said strip,- preferably; is so con-'- 'structed es to serve also as a member for supporting manually the honas a whole when view-'- ing a picture.

Previ-sion may be made, also, to mount a length of himstrip upen' a suitable carrier or holder for thefi-linstripy'wli-ich earner may be con-'- str'uted to receive either a 16 mm. film or a 35 mm or both; and when inserted in the gate will project beyondthe upper surface of the shadow box to afford an abutment preventing the film strip coil from falling over the gate.

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understeoe when described connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig". l a plan view of a blank stamped out or suitable material in such a manner that it is possible to construct the novel shadow box viewer therefrom merely by folding and anchoring the same; including integral wings thereon Fig; 2 is a view, in perspective, of the novel shadow boi't viewer as made up from the blank shown in Fig"; 1-:

Figs; 3 and 4 are respectively rear and front elevations of the viewer.

Figs: 5' and.- 6 are plain views illustrating difffe'rent forms of film holders which may be utilized in the novel viewer.

Fig. '7 is aplan view and Figs. 8 and 9 are re: sp't'zctivels' a front elevation and a rear elevation illustrating a meanest-ion in the construction er the viewer.

Fig. 1-0 is a longitudinal section through the viewer illustrated in Figs. 7+"9; inclusive.

Referring to the drawings, more particularly Figs. 1-4, inclusive; a novel shadow box picture viewer is shown as constructed from a flat sheet or l0; Fig} 1 of generally rectangular shape having oppositely eisp'esea sets of wings, one set comprising the wings H and i2 and the opposite set the Wings 13 and M; of which the one wing I 3 has" associated therewith alaterall'y' extending auxiliary wing [5. Of the first=inentiond set of wings; the wing H is previdedwith a rectanguiar frame aperture [6; and the wing l2 with asifnilarly sized frame aperture 1-1 but positioned at tight angles thereto so that when the blank and wingsare folded as" hereinafter set forth; the two apertures will register;

In the case of the other set of wings, wing I3 is" pravieee with a} circular sight aperture l8 adapted to register with a similar sight aperture IQ of the Wing E when the said wings are juxtaposed. Wing |3 carries also a lens element 20 which may be adhesively secured thereto along its circumference and over the aperture l8, being further held between the wing element l3 and its auxiliary element l5 by folding the latter thereover along its junction with wing l3, this junction being scored to this end as indicated at 2|. Auxiliary wing |5 thus folded may be secured to the wing l3 either by means of an adhesive or by stapling the same thereto, and is provided with a sight aperture I8 adapted in its folded location for registry with the sight apertures I8 and I9.

The blank portion i5 is scored transversely along the lines 25, 25, 21, and 28 to permit of bending the blank along said scorings to provide thereof, for example, the bottom 35 of the box, the one side wall 3| and the opposite side wall 32 thereof, as well as the top 33. The top element 33, furthermore, is provided with an extension or tab 35 adapted to be bent at right angles thereto along the scoring 28 to engage with the inner surface of the side wall 3| when the latter is bent upwards at right angles about the scoring 25, and may be attached thereto either by an adhesive or by stapling the same, or otherwise.

After the body of the shadow box has thus been assembled, the sets of wings are folded about scorings along respective longitudinal lines 35-35 and 3|'38 to close the respective ends of the box, except for the juxtaposed frame apertures |6i? and the sight aperture |8--|8-|9.

To secure these wings in their closure locations, suitable tabs 46 and ll are providedfor wing elements H and l2, and tabs 42, 43 for wing elements [3 and I4. These tabs are bendable at right angles to the corresponding wing elements as along the longitudinal scorings 40, 5| and 42, 43', respectively, frictionally holding thereby the wing element against the under face of top 33 and the wing element I2 against the side wall 3|, and the wing element |3 with auxiliary wing element |5 against the under face of the top 33 and wing element |4 against the side wall 3|. In order to prevent the respective pairs of wing elements i2 and I3, Hi from extending too far into the interior of the box, the respective tabs 40 and 4| are cut to provide at the scoring lines 404| pairs of ears 45 and 46, which then engage the corresponding edges of the side 3| and top 33, Figs. 2 and 4. In juxtaposing these frame apertures l6, l1, furthermore, the juxtae position of their two wing elements is made such as to leave therebetween lateral, openings 41 through which may be introduced ,a film mount or simply a strip of film having the pictures thereon for viewing in the shadow box as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

Similarly, in the case of the tabs 42 and 43, pairs of ears 48 and 49 are provided to engage respectively the corresponding edges of top 33 and side 3|, Fig. 3. v

A modification in the mounting of the lens is indicated in Figs. 7-10, inclusive, said lens in this embodiment being removably mounted in the shadow box 50 as on a suitable carrier 5|, rather than in the hereinbefore described wing elements It and I5. The box structure is otherwise similar with the exception that auxiliary wing l5, no longer being required to retain a lens element 20, is omitted, together with the scoring 2|.

The frame apertures 52 and the sight apertures 53 are coaxially arranged as in the previously described embodiment with respect to the lens 54 to be inserted and lateral openings 55 are provided between the frame aperture wing elements 55 to admit the picture mount or film strip which is to be viewed through the openings 53 in the wing elements 57. As indicated, the lens 54 is conveniently mounted between a doubled-over piece of cardboard or the like provided as a rectangular strip, and suitably apertured at 58 to expose said lens. To permit of introducing the carrier 5| with lens, the one side 55 of the box is provided with a transverse slot 6| and a similar but shorter slot 52 is provided in the opposite side 53 of the box, the two slots being aligned to position the lens at right angles to the optical axis of the said box and in the proper focus. By reducing the length of slot 62 and also the width of the carrier 5| at its outer end, a tab 64 is provided adapted for engagement with the inner face of side 53 to shoulder the holder or carrier against said inner face. In addition, in providing the slot 6|, this may be effected by a single cut and then bending inwardly into the box the resulting tab 55. The latter then serves to press against the body of said carrier to assist in firmly holding it in the supporting location.

The constructions hereinbefore described admit of providing for storage or shipment of a shadow box viewer of the nature set forth in knockdown state as merely in the form of the blank indicated in Fig. l, or, preferably, in assembled relationship as indicated in Figs. 2 and '7. These latter forms admit of collapse along diagonally opposite scoring lines, it being understood that the wings are first withdrawn and, in the case of the embodiment shown in Fig. 7, also lens carrier 5|.

While the usual picture slides may be utilized by inserting them through openings 41 or 55, and while a strip of the usual picture film may be manually passed directly therethrough for display of the picture frames, it is generally more convenient to hold such film in a carrier mount, for example, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, which mount with threaded film strip is then positioned between the frame aperture members and the film shifted as required. This admits also of accommodating both 16 mm. and 35 mm. films in the same mounting as well as admitting of the viewing of a single frame or simultaneously two frames, as may be desired. As indicated in said Figs. 5 and 6, the carrier mount 10, Fig. 5, is in the nature of an elongated, substantially rigid strip having a pair of transverse anchoring slots H through which a film is to be threaded, and a pair of further transverse anchoring slots 72 of length differing from the length of slots ll, said pairs being adapted to accommodate respectively film, say, of 16 mm. width and film, say, of 35 mm. width. These slots are displaced longitudinally along the strip and between the respective pairs of slots is provided a frame aperture, for example, the aperture 13 designed to register a 16 mm. film and an aperture 74 designed to register a double frame of 35 mm. width.

In Fig. 6 a slight modification is indicated in that respective slots of the slot pairs 15 and 16 are located at opposite ends of the carrier mount ll and all of the frame apertures are located therebetween. Thus, the aperture 18 for a 16 mm. film may be located intermediate, in this 75 particular embodiment, two apertures I9 and for 35 mm. film, the former aperture being adapted to display a single frame only and the latter two frames of said film.

Both types of the mounts provide, when inserted in the gate of the novel shadow box, a portion external thereto which projects sufficiently above the corresponding surface to prevent the coil of the threaded film from falling over the gate as the film strip is drawn manually through the mount to present successive frames for viewing.

I claim:

1. A collapsible shadow box picture viewer substantially rectangular in cross-section and having at one end integral folded means normally closing said end but affording a sight aperture therethrough, said means being manually withdrawable for effecting collapse of the box, and integral cooperative folded means normally closing the opposite end of said box relatively displaced to receive and retain a picture therebetween and having respective apertures registering with each other when the means are folded, said means being withdrawable for effecting the collapse of the said box, and a lens supported intermediate the picture-retaining means and the outer of the sight apertures of the erected box.

2. An elongated and collapsible picture viewer, substantially rectangular in cross-section, of the shadow-box type and composed of a single blank of bendable material having a rectangular scored portion, said material being bent along the scorings to afford the bottom, top, and side walls of the box; and sets of wings extending from the bottom and an adjacent side at their opposite ends and scored along their junctions therewith, one set of the wings being perforated and folded at their junction scorings over each other to provide juxtaposed registering frame apertures displaced from each other to afford an intermediate picture receiving space with side openings to admit a picture, the other set of the wings being perforated and folded at their junction scorings over each other to provide juxtaposed openings affording a sight aperture for viewing a picture located in the picture receiving space, both of the sets of wings being withdrawable for effecting the collapse of said box, and a lens supported intermediate the picture-retaining space and the outer of the sight apertures of the erected box.

3. A shadow box picture viewer according to claim 2, wherein each of the wing elements of the respective pairs is provided witha bendable tab adapted to be turned inwardly to engage the inner surface of a corresponding wall.

4. A shadow box picture viewer according to claim 3, wherein the frame-aperture-forming wings are each provided with a pair of ears at the fold line of their respective tabs, said ears engaging with corresponding edges of the corresponding walls when the said tabs are turned inwardly.

5. A shadow box picture viewer according to claim 2, wherein one of the sight aperture wings is provided with a laterally extending and bendable auxiliary wing, scored at its junction therewith and folded at the scoring over said one wing, and a lens is retained between the said one wing and its folded auxiliary wing.

6. A shadow box picture viewer according to claim 2, wherein two opposite walls are provided with respective transverse aligned slots, and a rigid lens holder with lens is adapted to fit therein to align the lens optically with the picture receiving space and the sight aperture.

7. A shadow box picture viewer according to claim 6, wherein the slot in one wall is shorter than the slot in the other wall, and the lens holder has a narrow tab at its upper edge to fit the shorter slot, projects through the top and shoulders the holder against the inner face of the said one wall and each side whereby it may serve to make the viewer more rigid and to provide a manual support for the viewer through an externally projecting portion of said holder.

8. A blank adapted for assembly into a picture viewer, comprising a flat sheet of bendable material of substantial thickness, said sheet being of generally rectangular shape and scored transversely for bending along said scorings to afford elements constituting the bottom, top and side walls of the viewer, the top-forming element having a lateral extension scored at its junction with the top-forming element and adapted for folding under a side wall element to be secured thereto, and sets of perforated wings extending from the bottom element and an adjacent side wall element at their opposite ends and scored along their junctions therewith, the respective wings of a set being foldable over each other to register the corresponding perforations and each having a respective terminal tab bendable at right angles to the corresponding wings to retain frictionally said wings in position.

9. A blank for assembly into a picture viewer according to claim 8, wherein the tabs at their junction with their respective wings are cut to provide lateral pairs of ears extending from the corresponding wings for precise positioning of the latter when folded.

J. RAYMOND HUTCHINSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,487,173 Manion Mar. 18, 1924 2,071,120 Harlow Feb. 16, 1937 2,105,025 Curtis Jan. 11, 1938 2,134,971 Guyer Nov. 1, 1938 2,153,221 Wittel Apr. 4, 1939 

